English Idiom “Rip-off” from Happy English NY

Today we are going to look at the idiom rip-off, which can be used as a noun or a verb. This expression means stealing or cheating. We often use rip-off when we feel we have been overcharged for something. In this case, we say that something is/was a rip-off:

-They charge $9 for a beer at the baseball stadium. What a rip-off!
-The tire center was such a rip off. I paid $100 for a new tire, and they charged me $85 for the labor.

We also use rip-off when we are dissatisfied with value of something we bought or service we paid for.

-That camera was a rip-off. The batteries last less than an hour, and the picture quality is terrible.
-Cheap sunglasses are always a rip-off. They break easily, and the lenses are usually not so good.

We can also use rip-off as a verb with the same meaning. For example, if someone or some business has cheated you, or if someone has stolen from you. In this case, the structure is:

[someone] ripped [someone] off

or

[someone] ripped off [someone’s thing]

-The mechanic at the tire center ripped me off.
-Someone ripped off my wallet while I was in the pool.

Have you ever had something ripped off? Have you ever been ripped off? Let us know.
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